Proposal
The Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC) for U.S. Air Force Air Battle Managers (ABMs) should be changed from 6 years to 8 years with a requirement for a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) from an ABM “hub,” defined for this argument as the 552 Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, and the 461 Air Control Wing at Warner Robins AFB, Georgia.
Story
Congratulations! You graduated from Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training (UABMT) at Tyndall AFB, Florida. As the instructors give their final words of wisdom for instruction and officership, you ask about your upcoming assignment as an E-3G ABM at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Almost in a collective sigh the instructors all say something about the Tinker culture being poor and there being too many ABMs in one spot. You ask follow up questions but uncover no clear “why” or how to fix the problem besides “bloom where you are planted” or “be the change in the room.”
Same class, different story: You received an assignment to Warner Robins AFB, Georgia. As you go to the instructors for wisdom, the majority of them are beyond excited you are going to Warner Robins AFB. “It’ll be like family” or “you’ll be treated with respect” they say. You ask follow up questions, and hearing clear examples of personal success, you are excited to purchase a house.
Both examples enter training for the Wing’s Command and Control and Air Battle Management (C2ABM) platform. Initial Qualification Training (IQT) is followed by Mission Qualification (MQT) and the chance to deploy on behalf of the nation and Wing’s mission. Then both receive an assignment to something different, something new: The 18 Fighter Interception Squadron of Eielson, AFB. Now the wisdom being passed is enjoy Alaska but “don’t let it be a career killer.” Both ABMs embrace the new mission in Alaska. However, after the career broadening opportunity, the one ABM chooses to separate from the U.S. Air Force rather than accepting a follow on assignment that would return them to a Hub. The other ABM accepts the next assignment and continues their Air Force career.
Discussion
A six year ADSC may be adequate to serve the ABM “hubs,” but not the Air Force or even the individual ABMs. Perhaps originally it was a waterfall down from Pilots having 10 year ADSC, Combat System Officers having had 8(now 6), and ABMs having a 6-year ADSC. This is not an attempt to repeat some message of “fighters just don’t care” or “pilots are trying to remove Air Battle Managers from the Air Force,” only to note that the ADSC for ABMs is not particularly long nor, perhaps, well designed.
The U.S. Air Force Force Generation Model, AFFORGEN, has moved the Air Force to a 24 month, 4 phase cycle of Reset, Prepare, Certify, and Available to Commit. The official USAF messaging that describes the requirement for the AFFORGEN model is that “the USAF is in high demand across the globe throughout the spectrum of conflict.” To fit within this model, Battle Management Wings – the hubs – require Squadrons to train new crews to deploy, rest and recuperate, train or upgrade, then deploy again.
During the 6-month Reset Phase, some ABMs will conduct an “upgrade” to become an Instructor, Evaluator, or different crew specialty on their assigned mission platform. In total, including time spent upgrading experienced crewmembers into new roles, squadrons have 18 months to generate crewmembers, experience, and required skillsets for their Battle Management Teams prior to being available to commit these teams for deployment taskings. This timing typically allows crewmembers to attend only one or two high-end exercises, such as a Red Flag or Bamboo Eagle, prior to entering their Available to Commit window.
Apart from directly preparing crews to deploy, the hubs must maintain instructor capacity at their Formal Training Units (FTUs) so that new crewmembers can be produced and upgrades can be accomplished for squadrons in their Reset phase. During any upgrade, the FTU cadre informally interviews select ABMs to assess their interest in teaching at the FTU. An ABM who accepts this offer would, on average during a 6-year assignment, deploy twice, join the FTU, and instruct there for the remaining 18 months of their ADSC. The cycle continues as a new batch of FTU instructors takes over every 18-24 months as the others separate, with a few entering the Guard or Reserve.
Proposed Solution
If the ADSC for ABMs is changed from 6 to 8 years with a mandatory PCS during this period, the hubs might suffer but the Air Force would benefit. Why? An ABM completing at their first assignment can forecast IQT/MQT for 6 months, finish cycle their first AFORGEN cycle, (24 Months), upgrade during Reset taking 6 months (30 total), and finishing the second cycle (48 Months). After that, with an 8-year ADSC, ABMs could either PCS and do it all again on a new platform before being eligible to separate, or they could remain at their hub for a third cycle. A potential for the third cycle could be the hub’s FTU or Operational Support Squadron (OSS) for 24 months prior to PCS, creating a broader experienced ABM. The ABM would PCS with one more AFORGEN cycle left in their ADSC. If the timeline is accurate, the 8-year ADSC is almost transparent to the hubs, who expect to lose people at the current 6-year mark, with the potential to gain an ABM with one or two AFORGEN cycles remaining. Also hidden in that timeline are the 30 days of authorized leave, potential for sickness, and other time factors. The old system would see an ABM separate serving only hub. The proposed new system would see an ABM PCS with potentially 3-6 years of experience, ready to serve at the next assignment.
A well-rounded ABM would be what is PCS’ing from one of the tactical hubs. With one to two AFORGEN cycles remaining, the ABM would have past experience and be able to create stability for their personal life. For example, the 612 Air Operations Center (AOC), at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, is currently a prominent Air Force Operational C2 unit in the news due to its focus on the Gulf of America and the United States’ southern border. The operational test and training enterprise at the 505 Command and Control Wing (CCW) and 53 Wing need experienced ABMs who can bring their expertise to the institutional training and testing world. Finally, ABMs may PCS to other tactical C2 units or even from hub to hub. Regardless of whether an ABM decides to separate from the Air Force at the completion of the 8-year ADSC, they will have conducted two missions on two C2ABM platforms. This would benefit the Air Force as the various experiences could be cross pollinated between hubs and institutional expertise does not remain isolated. “Opie” Foulk stated on the recent C2_Coord podcast “training is better face to face.” So is experience exposure and the exchange of ideas, which ABMs could do more effectively under the proposed plan.
Conclusion
“SWAT” Georgulis stated in the same C2_Coord podcast that “without air battle management, there is no Air Superiority.” ABMs that are diversified in levels of warfare, communication skillsets, and brining order to chaos would be able to serve the AFFORGEN cycle and commanders at the various levels of warfare to help create battle management clarity. The USAF would have more experienced officers who can lead and conduct air domain warfare.
A longer ADSC for the ABMs would help with retention and experience for the hubs and other C2 nodes. The individual ABM will serve multiple missions and potentially across multiple levels of warfare. We need more experience and retention in the ABM community, and can get there by changing the ABM ADSC from 6 years to 8 years.
Maj David “Solo” Blessman, USAF, is an Air Battle Manager, husband, and father.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, or U.S. government.
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